By “working,” that also includes something like unpaid, but regular volunteer service. It also refers to the usual sense of the word meaning employment, and not doing something like tending your own garden.
And by “comfortably,” I mean that you don’t have to work for necessary financial reasons.

I’m curious what you do and, if you want to tell us, why you do it and how old you are.

I’ll start: I’m closer to my 80th birthday anniversary than my 79th, and I am an LE firearms instructor. The why is primarily because I get a lot of satisfaction from teaching, and although my agency would get by if I quit, I’m a convenience and I believe I am making an important contribution.

My friend's dad is a dealer trade driver for a local GM dealer. Get to drive new stuff often.

I retired May 2016 and I keep busy by serving in several different ministries at my church. I lead a home visitation ministry 26 weeks a year, I lead a Bible study once a week at a drug treatment center and I do a online Bible study once a week on FB. I do it because this is why God allowed me to retire, not to kick back and do nothing but to serve Him and make a positive difference in people's lives.

I’m still full time LE here in Chicago.
I’m maxed out as far as time on the job (hell, I go over 30 years the beginning of Sept).
I hit the age to collect medical insurance this Oct.

IF I walked in Nov, we would be “comfortable”.
But… with one kid going to college in a few weeks, and another in High School and on his way to college, and Im making a fair amount of overtime, and probably will be for the unforeseen future, Im going to stick around for a while. So comfortable vs COMFORTABLE.

Then again, after Oct, and someone pisses me off, it’s nice to be in the position to say “Kiss My Ass”.

I have been hit up by a bunch of friends who have taken jobs elsewhere, and have given me more than a few options if I do decide to walk away from this.
When I do walk away, I’ll get something else (part-time) just to stay sane.
If I don’t stay active, and do something, Im going to get in trouble, or my loving wife will kill me.

I am just shy of 60 and when I retire ( my plan is 65) after that I plan on “working” for nonprofits near and dear to my heart.
In my line of work and level of experience, if I retired at say 62, and decided on one paid day a week of work in my field , I would hit taxation penalty territory in just a few months so it is not realistic for me to retire at 62. ( if I can work the numbers and make it realistic I certainly will!)
I love what I do and the people I work with in a stable supportive organization ( that is pretty rare in itself these days) but if for some reason I discovered I could retire at 62 comfortably- I would definitely do so.

While I understand a lot of people have an existential crisis when they stop working, doubt their value, or have too much time to fill
I wouldn’t be that guy.

Retire-
Find a worthy cause needing your attention and dive in

62 next month,
could draw from my 401K's now

could retire May 2026

self employed now, and like what I do,

so, will continue to be until my knees say no, or my health says no, or whatever,


while I am probably 40-60 lbs overweight (depending on who is saying what) I am healthy,

I enjoy what I do, and will keep on until I cannot

Retired at 66 (1 year ago), spent 40 years in pharma/med tech. We are fortunate that SS covers 95% of our living expenses so we really don't touch the retirement funds. Working with Habitat for Humanity - but not enough work around here. Finally tired of 'sitting around (wife's words)' so I'm going to get a job at Lowes/HD where I can stock shelves and then go home - and not worry about what I need to do to generate revenue - just ensure I put up hammers correctly.

I retired in 2015 from the funeral business at age 62. After a month, my wife (still working) told me to go find something to do and not sit around the house playing on SigForum and Maryland Shooters.

I joined my local volunteer Fire Department and eventually obtained my EMT-B. I gave up my EMT and Funeral license last year but am still active in the Department as a Board Member and Carnival committee co-chair

I retired from LE in 2017. Currently full time college professor (nobody saw that coming) and part time teaching on the weekends at several area ranges. I continue to work because I enjoy the job and it gives me a sense of purpose
It's very rewarding to work in academia and be able to help students see a balanced perspective.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
If you could retire comfortably, but are still working, what do you do?

I asked myself this same question in 2011. My answer was to retire. I have spent the last 14 years perfecting the art of laziness. I'm getting pretty good at it.

My business card says...

"Retired, I don't do anything and I don't start that till noon."

I've started a side business from my primary business of thirty-four years as a cross of landscaping and hardscaping.

It sort of sprung up from what I do around the house and our land.

We shall see!

CSO for 3 years now. 55 years old.

My wife can’t retire for a while as she was a stay at home mom for many years.

We’re both fit and active. Unless grandchildren enter the chat, we both enjoy being employed full time. I’m toying with the idea of a side gig pressure washing for a very small group of people.

A grand baby would throw all of this into a spin. We’re longing to be grandparents.

I was a part-time LE trainer for ten years before I retired from the day job. At 53 I might've looked my age, but didn't feel it and sure didn't act it. Post-retirement, I kept doing the "instructor" thing and have been the interim director at the Academy for just under two years now. It works out to part-time, leaving plenty of lifespan to do other stuff. And, it's fun. Lots of fun.

My wife still runs a home-based business. Our current earnings are nice but if we both threw out the anchor today we could live comfortably within our retirement means. It's just that neither of us are really ready to just stop.

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:
I’m still full time LE

When I do walk away, I’ll get something else (part-time) just to stay sane.
If I don’t stay active, and do something, Im going to get in trouble, or my loving wife will kill me.

Same same. (But you already know this)

I hit 30 years Aug 8 of next year. I spend my time divided to training and operations. If I retire, I wind up working an off shift working weekends. Staying where I am at I have premium days off and basically do what I want as long as the work gets done. I get to flex and work different sections when not busy. I still enjoy training the kids.

I am 77 retired several times one at 60 electrical
construction, then at 70 from MITRE Corp. Now I work PT at a gun range, started as an RSO, now instructor for a contractor training for government security.
Two or three days a week, keeps me busy. Oh I mow a couple of yards for cash.

I retired once at 61, worked about 1/2 time as "locus tenens" cardiologist until 2008 when the economy fell apart. My wife and I would have been OK, but felt our kids would need help in the long run. I went back to work full time at 65, worked to 70 1/2 in Hawaii, mostly in Maui. It was the most enjoyable phase of my career; not so much working in Maui, although that was great; but I had never felt such appreciation for my work before--from colleagues and patients. Retired at 70 1/2 because I couldn't take night call any more; and because it was time.

I had planned to do woodworking, other hobbies; I did a lot of choral singing which surprised me I was able to do at a pretty high level. But our focus since 2018 has been our grandkids. Everything we do is now focused on helping our kids bring up the grandkids. Hence we're fixing up our San Diego house and moving to be closer to our daughter and her family in Northern California.

Looking forward to getting together with old shooting buddies.

I drive a semi. It’s pretty easy to get part time work as long as I keep my medical card current. My current job is pretty involved and is known to be the home of good workers. I have a degree in something that didn’t pay I could probably fall back on that.

I plan on retiring sometime in the next 5-14 years. I plan on setting up a fruit stand and selling tomatoes and other veggies in the Philippines. I am also interested in wood working/turning as a part time hobby job.

I will not do anything that requires me to be at a certain place at a certain time or reporting to anyone not named Mrs. Skins.

Teach adults, no disciple problems that come with youth. Teach what I know well and incorporate practical matters that I learned in my career.

As I think about your question, the definition of retired gets fuzzier.

Being retired means not having to earn a paycheck to live. Iow, being financially independent at a level we find comfortable.

So I go back to the concept of not having to earn a paycheck. From there we all follow our individual purpose. Some choose to pass on skills and knowledge gained over decades of experience to younger generations, some contribute their time to unskilled tasks that help the less fortunate, some continue in their profession (e.g. doctor, financial advisor) to contribute to society. Some indulge their interests such as travel or learning a new skill.

If you don't need the money, you're doing the job for another reason. Those on this thread who still get paid have described some contribution to others as their purpose. Getting paid may be a bonus, but unlike most of our working lives, one isn't showing up for the money if one already has enough to live comfortably without the paycheck.

Finding a purpose in retirement is one of the big challenges for many people.